


Quirky Jewels

by Lithiasaur



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon), 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: AU, Battle, Crossover, F/F, Gem Fights, One Shot, Quirks, Rivalry, slowburn, tournament
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-05
Updated: 2020-06-05
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:08:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24558187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lithiasaur/pseuds/Lithiasaur
Summary: A super indulgent Steven Universe/My Hero Academia crossover. Gems tried to invade Earth, but were rebuffed and driven off by the rise of Heroes in a super powered world. Learning from their enemies, Gems produced an upgrade for Gems to equip that reproduced the Super Hero gene from Earth, and granted each a unique Quirk to combat the wide ranging abilities of their enemies. The Diamonds are holding a tournament in an effort to find the strongest Quirks and establish the commanders of their combined Rainbow Army, and launch a final united front to conquer Earth and harness the nurtrient rich planet to produce the next generation of powerful, perfect Gems. Pearl joins the tournament, in an effort to convince the Diamonds that such tactics might not be necessary.
Relationships: Amethyst/Pearl (Steven Universe), Jasper/Pearl (Steven Universe)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	Quirky Jewels

Staring up at the current rankings, following the qualifying and preliminary rounds and the first eliminations, Bismuth shook her head in wonder. Most of the names left on the tiered off battles were not surprising, with the obvious favorite being famed war hero Jasper, Pink Diamond’s prized General. Bismuth herself was a strong contender, which she was well aware of, and she spotted the Amethyst rescued from the destroyed Kindergarten on Earth was still in the fighting rounds. Good. That little twerp was stronger than she looked, but she had to have been to survive the raid those damn humans launched. She was still very young, of course, but gems had to grow up fast. 

Not that they did any actual growing once they were out of the ground. 

There was one name that seemed to be a mistake. Somehow, a simple pearl had managed to make it through all those culling rounds, either by sheer luck or some sort of wild determination. Was it a joke by the Diamonds, to put her name on the list? Pink Diamond was known as a bit of a wild card, after all, and it seemed to be her personal Pearl on the list. But Pink Diamond was not the one overseeing these training exercises, nor the one stationed in this quadrant.No, it was Yellow Diamond that had organized this tournament, to test the limits of the Quick enhancements, and find the strongest of the newly empowered gems. 

So they had gathered on this space station, beyond Earth’s limited capabilities as far as space travel went. At least in that regard they were still helpless, but the humans had already proven to be formidable foes that they simply could not afford to underestimate again. How many gems had been shattered in their attempts to capture the planet? Before stubbornness gave way to the realization that they finally met a foe that could stand against them, and would not give their planet up so easily. 

Glancing around the room, Bismuth saw the pearl leaning on a far wall, away from the rest of the combatants. Only one other gem dared go near her, the rest either casting glances her way with derisive comments, or just laughing at the ridiculous idea of having to face a pearl in the next round. The tiers had not been filled in yet, the names all listed on either side of the projected branches, but soon they would have their opponents and the tournament would truly begin. 

“Just what do you think you’re doing here, pipsqueak?” Bismuth said, drawing closer. Amethyst looked up as if she thought the bigger gem was talking to her, and Bismuth could not help but grin. “The other pipsqueak.” 

“The same thing as the rest of you, I imagine,” Pearl said evenly, with a sigh. She must have just answered the same question from the short purple gem. Amethyst took a step toward Pearl, standing protectively between her and Bismuth. So they were friends? That was cute, but Bismuth was not there to make friends or enemies. 

“You think you can keep up, now that the battles are starting?” Bismuth asked, with a slight, honest hint of worry to her generally confused tone. Pearl looked at her, severe expression softening a bit when she realized, at least for the moment, this gem was not there to make fun of her or give her a hard time just for being there. 

“I think I’ll do just fine.” 

“I thought pearls weren’t compatible with the upgrade? Isn’t that what the research department said when they published their findings?” 

“I’m surprised you read it,” Pearl said, eyes flashing. “Though, in this place, I’m generally surprised any of these gems can read at all. But yes. That is what they published. Clearly, that was incorrect.” 

“So what’s your Quirk, then, beanpole?” 

Pearl was silent, arms folded over her chest. She looked away from Bismuth, closing her teal eyes and ending the conversation abruptly. Amethyst looked up at Bismuth, hands on her hips. 

“You’ll just have to see it in action, like everyone else!” She grinned, and the larger gem tilted her head as she looked down at the purple quartz. She shrugged, turning to walk off. She knew where she was not wanted, and had no intention of staying there. 

“If she’s not shattered before she gets a chance to use it.” 

\--------------------

During the earlier rounds, to reduce the number of entrants and break it down to those most deserving of keeping their upgrades, Gems were not allowed to use their Quirks outside of designated tests and zones. With limited uses, no one was fully sure of what each battler’s power was, now that the rounds were being generated. There were a few that had their powers from the first wave of upgrades, so of course everyone knew what to expect should they face Jasper in the tournament ring. 

They expected to lose, mostly. And painfully. 

It was Pearl’s turn to watch as the board illuminated, flashing to draw the eyes of all the gems in the rest areas. The other rooms, too, had the same sort of screen. As soon as the names finished moving around, everyone was eager to see who their first opponent would be. Some were very happy with the match up, each confident that they could beat the other and move on to the next round. Amethyst was not quite as happy. 

“Jasper?!” she looked up at Pearl helplessly, shaking her head. “Not only am I not going to place, I’m going to get shattered!” 

“We’re not allowed to shatter each other,” Pearl reminded her patiently, though she did place her hand on Amethyst’s head to ruffle her soft, thick white hair sympathetically. “Look, we’re in the same tier. If you beat Jasper, and I beat my opponent, then we can face one another. That would be fun.”

“Yeah, well. If I’ve got any limbs still attached, then we can just spar on our own time. Who are you facing, anyway?” 

“Looks like a quartz from Blue Diamond’s court. Not surprising, there are tons of quartz gems entered in this. Blue Jasper, though they’ve written her name as Regalite.” 

“Regal, eh? Maybe she won’t want to break a nail, then,” Amethyst grinned up at Pearl, her bad mood fading as quickly as it had settled. That was something Pearl admired about the little rescued gem. Ever since being pulled out of that wreckage, she had done everything in her power to better herself, and earn a spot of respect and admiration among her peers. She might not have been able to develop the way they had, through the normal incubation period in a Kindergarten, but she had come quite far anyway. She always seemed to have a fun time while doing it, too, though Pearl had seen some of her darker times. 

The hand on her head moved to Amethyst’s shoulder instead, gripping it tightly. Pearl stared at the screen, thinking about the upcoming fight, and her chances of winning it. Even she had to admit that they were low, but if she could just place inside the top ten, and be chosen as a commander in the new army the Diamond’s were forming between each other, maybe her voice would finally be heard. 

\----------------------------

Sitting in the stands, Pearl chose a spot away from the rest of the fighters. The tournament was relatively small, compared to just how much space was available in the space station. It was the perfect place for training armies, but the Diamonds were not just looking for soldiers. They were looking for their leaders, their strongest, and Pearl was determined to be among them. For many of the other gems, it was about ambition. It was a thirst for power and status. Pearl’s stake was different, but she had already come to terms with the fact that she would never be on the same level, in terms of fighting ability or mental thought, as the others. For better or worse. 

A shadow fell over her and she looked up, eyes drawn from the two fighters waiting for the round to start below. She had only come out here to cheer Amethyst on, and to see the powers both her friend and Jasper were granted through the upgrade.

“This won’t be a long battle,” came a peaceful voice, and Pearl recognized it from her own court. Garnet sat beside her, adjusting her glasses and relaxing into the chair. Of course, she knew the outcome of the fight without having to watch it. There were no paths that deviated in this particular situation, so the conclusion was easy to decide. Looking at Pearl, the future was not so defined. “This isn’t a wise plan, Pearl.” 

“What are you doing here? Doesn’t Pink Diamond need you?” 

The rulers of the Gem society, most nobles and of course the Diamonds of Homeworld, used Sapphires to help them make their decisions, and see into the future. When Blue Diamond’s Sapphire was nearly destroyed in an accident during some of the initial testing phases of the Quirk Upgrade, a Ruby went beyond the call of her duties and saved her from a fate she had even predicted for herself. Instead of shattering, she was fused with the Ruby. Blue Diamond ordered them shattered, but Pink Diamond stepped in, throwing a small tantrum until the fusion was relinquished to her court, and appointed to the same place a sapphire would have occupied. Garnet served Pink Diamond with the utmost loyalty, just as Pearl did, but she was wise and always two steps ahead of everyone else. It often put Pearl on edge. 

Now, with her just showing up here, not as a participant and without Pink Diamond being present on the station, Pearl knew her anxiety was well warranted. 

“This is a dangerous plan,” Garnet said airily, not bothering to answer Pearl’s question. They both knew the answer, so it would be a waste of time. And as she had already said, the match was going to be short, and limit their time to speak. “Reckless.” 

“I have to do something,” Pearl said softly, a strange surge of relief moving through her. Though still wary, it was actually nice to know that someone else was aware of what she was doing. And, so far, was not trying to stop her. After all, Garnet could have just gone to Pink Diamond directly, instead of coming out here to find Pearl. 

“I know. And you will. But this…” she sighed, turning her three eyes toward the stadium floor. “Is very dangerous.”

\---------------------------

The stadium had been renovated by some of the terraforming gems to replicate the terrain of Earth more closely than that of Homeworld. It would later be used for training exercises, after all, and not just a tournament for fighters to show off. The importance of having it be accurate was, however, lost on the two current brawlers. 

Jasper grinned, lifting her head high toward the artificial sun that lit the stadium, feeling the heat of it on her face and knowing her gem was sparkling because of it. Everything about her was perfect, as everyone always said. She, like Amethyst, came from Earth. Hers was the first wave, before the planet fought back, and she came out perfect. It was gems like her that showed the Diamond how valuable the Earth truly was, but they had not been expecting the rise of heroes. Humans with Quirks assembled and fought them off, destroying their installations and protecting their species from being wiped out by even Yellow Diamond’s best occupying armies. By the second wave of incubations, the Kindergarten was destroyed and the gems retreated to nearby space stations and colonies to formulate a more thorough plan to conquer the planet. 

To Amethyst, Jasper was everything she was supposed to have been. Everything she wanted to be. And, in her way, everything Amethyst was continuing to work toward. The reason she was bettering herself every day, fighting as hard as she could to prove herself. Even though she had earned respect and already impressed the Diamonds, it was not enough. They were still aware of her shortcomings, literally and metaphorically. They would never give her a real position of command or power unless she proved she deserved it. 

That was why she was here. She just wished she did not have to fight the epitome of Quartz perfection right off the bat. That was going to make things a lot more complicated. 

“I don’t need my Quirk to beat you, runt,” Jasper cut into her thoughts as the alarm to begin rang out across the stadium. The gems in the stands began to cheer and hollar, mostly calling Jasper’s name. Amethyst did hear a few cheering for her, though, and it gave her confidence. 

“Oh yeah? Then don’t use it, and see where that gets you, beefcake!” All the name calling today had gotten into her head, but she was trying to sound as tough as possible. Leaping into the air, she curled into a ball and launched herself toward Jasper. It was a typical power of a gem of her kind, and of course, Jasper saw it as a direct challenge as a Quartz. She did the same thing, curling into a ball and spinning in place, an electric charge building around her long hair as it wrapped around her protectively, creating a hardened shield much like the one Amethyst could make. Except she was at least three times bigger. 

She charged at Amethyst and met her halfway across the field, the two balls smashing into each other with a burst of electricity from Jasper. It pulsed through Amethyst, sending her sprawling. She caught herself in the air and managed to land on her feet, wobbling a bit but clearing her head from the shock. Jasper uncurled, getting to her feet with a grin on her face. 

Along with the use of their individual Quirks, which manifested into a unique power once the Upgrade was equipped and it proved compatible with the gem, all gems could continue to use the powers they were built with. For fighter types like Jaspers and Amethysts, that included impressive strength, the ability to roll into balls and use their long hair as shields, and for Jasper herself the power to generate, but not control, electricity. Amethyst had begun to harness that ability, but it was a trickier one for someone of her stature. They were not allowed to use their weapons in this battle tournament, which Amethyst was now seeing as a disadvantage considering how much of her previous training was weapon based. 

“Time to end this, defect,” Jasper growled lowly, lifting a foot. She slammed it down, sending a crack racing along the ground. It split down beneath Amethyst’s legs, but was thin and did not pull the ground apart. Amethyst stared down at it, then opted to move to one side, just in case a rift did open up to swallow her. The massive quake that had escaped with the stomp faded away and Amethyst arched an eyebrow, looking over at Jasper. 

“That’s it? You shook the ground a bit? Alright, how about I show you what a real quirk-” 

Jasper grinned as a large fist made out of the earth-like dirt floor smashed into Amethyst from behind, launching her suddenly at full speed toward the waiting orange brawler. Jasper lunged forward with a wild laugh, bringing her own fist forward and smashing it into Amethyst’s face with a tremendous force. Her whole body resonated, eyes wide in shock before she poofed and a purple gem clattered to the ground. Without her really being able to process it, Jasper’s punch had sent her through the raised earth, the fist shattering around her and collapsing in large chunks of debris, solid stone underneath the pale brown dirt, all broken by the power behind Jasper’s hit. 

Calmly, Jasper picked up the fallen gem and held it up above her head, looking around the stadium as the other gems went wild. 

Pearl frowned, leaning back in her seat. 

Very dangerous, indeed.

\-----------------------------

Pearl’s battle was scheduled immediately after Amethyst’s, and once the stadium was restored, she went down to the arena. She stood at one end of the field, the audience not sure what to make of her. There was laughter, and boos, and lots of calls for her to go back to her master. She supposed they did not know just who’s pearl they were making fun of, but it did not matter to her one way or the other. This was not about status in the now, but power in the future. She had to focus on her fight, and winning. That was it. 

Nothing else mattered. 

Putting aside her concern for Amethyst after what happened with Jasper, and what might happen to her if she won her fight and had to go against that monster of a gem herself, to the side, she looked across the arena as the cheers started to shift in tone. A blue Jasper, perhaps as tall as Jasper herself, stood with her fists at her side. Like a soldier, back straight, eyes forward, expression serious. She had her white hair, usually long and thick for a quartz, cut short and maintained, swept back rather than buzzed. If she let it down a bit, it might have been cute. Instead, it only added to the gravity of her appearance.

Regalite was all business. The two battlers walked to the center of the arena, Pearl extending her hand respectfully. To her surprise, Regalite took it, and gave it a firm, intense shake. The Blue Jasper stared at her for a long moment, holding on to the slight hand in her massive one, and her frown deepened. 

“This will bring me no pleasure,” she informed Pearl, nodding her head, “but I will treat you with respect. You have earned your right to be here. You will be going no further.” 

“I appreciate that,” Pearl said, with a smile. She let go of Regal’s hand and stepped back, bringing her arms up and widening her stance to ready for battle. Regalite continued to stand at attention. The claxon blared, the battle beginning. For a moment, both gems waited for the other to make the first move.

Then Pearl took the liberty of breaking the tension. She darted to the side, gem flashing in the bright, synthetic sun. She circled, ducking low and sprinting toward Regalite, who turned and immediately activated her Quirk. Pearl shifted her footing, darting to the side yet again to keep from a straight path, and making her point of focus difficult to predict. The soldier did not break her stance, or speed up to keep track of Pearl’s location as she turned. Instead, she raised one arm, her right, and her palm lit up white. Flames started licking her palm and Pearl’s eyes widened. She jumped, launching herself into the sky as the air around her burst into flames. It was not exactly an explosion, more like the flames just appeared in the sky as if ignited on an invisible match. Judging from the dark mark left on the ground, it had burned intensely hot before dying out in a matter of seconds. 

Still in the air, digesting what she saw, Pearl had nowhere to go as Regalite lifted her palm up, toward where Pearl was falling back down to earth. She could see the projection of her path, lowering her palm and focusing on a space in the air where Pearl would be in a few moments.

“It’s over,” Regalite said severely, palm lighting up. 

“No!” Pearl yelled, but was quickly engulfed in flames. Her burning body hit the ground hard, Regalite’s eyebrows lifting as she stepped toward the scorched form. She had not poofed yet, and guilt bit at the honorable gem because of it. 

“I’m sorry, I thought it would be enough… I held back too much in an effort to spare you unnecessary suffering, and now…”

“And now you’ve let your guard down,” Pearl said, though her voice came from behind the blue gem. Startled, Regalite turned from the burned, fallen body of a pearl, but was too slow to stop the much smaller gem from leaping onto her back. Pearl covered Regalite’s gem, located on the back of her shoulder, with her palm, clinging to her back tightly and refusing to be thrown off. The burned pearl got to her feet shakily, but even as she stood the burns faded away, leaving her looking as pristine as she had at the start of the battle as she stood in front of Regalite. Except now she was scowling, focused. Her gem pulsed.

“I appreciate your concern, but it was never needed. You said it yourself: I earned my right to fight here. Underestimating me and showing me mercy was a kind gesture, but foolish.”

“I-is this your quirk? How are you uninjured?!” Regalite reached back to try and pull the gem off her back, but Pearl charged her from the front and slammed her shoulder as hard as she could into the other gem’s mid-section. It sent all three gems tumbling to the ground, but the pearl on Regalite’s back vanished. Pearl pinned Regal down, stomping on her shoulder and putting most of her weight on it to keep the gem against the ground. 

“This battle is over. Without your gem facing the sunlight, you can’t use your Quirk. I could poof you like this, but I will show you the same mercy you showed me. Except I’m certain I’ve won. Even if you were to throw me off, I know how your power works, and I can dodge it every time. It’s too slow to be effective in a setting like this, though the raw power of it is… impressive.” 

Regalite growled low, but then closed her eyes. She tapped the ground with her other arm, indicating she was giving up. Pearl was surprised that work, not expecting to convince the other so easily, but the bell rang and the audience booed heartily in response. The pearl had won, though it was not a very spectacular fight. 

“Good luck, little Pearl. I’ll leave it to General Jasper to teach you what a mistake you’ve made.” 

\------------------------

Pearl was alone in one of the smaller recovery rooms, resting as the rest of the first round battles continued outside. She looked at herself in the mirror, grimacing at the burns that flaked away layers of her skin, but were not deep enough to warrant poofing and reforming. She would have to endure the pain for the next round, but they would slow her down, which was not something she could afford. She was hoping that if she wrapped them tightly enough she could get used to the way they impacted her movements between rounds. 

There was a very light knock at the door, one she was not meant to actually hear, before it opened and two gems stepped inside. Amethyst hissed when she saw the marks on Pearl’s body, and Garnet sighed. 

“I knew we had not seen your Quirk out there. Do you even have one?” 

Pearl turned, tugging her shirt down to cover herself, the burns on her body, and her bandages. She frowned at the duo, though her eyes warmed as she settled her gaze on Amethyst. 

“Are you okay?” 

“Oh yeah, never better! Didn’t take long to reform. Figured it wouldn’t go that well, but man. She kicked my teeth in. That’s okay, though, I’ll just keep getting better.” Amethyst grinned, though Pearl could almost feel the disappointment radiating off of her. She was not as happy as she seemed, and they would have to talk about it later. For now, she had a few other things to focus no, blue eyes shifting to Garnet. 

Garnet was staring at her, glasses lowered so she could stare at her from over the rims with her third eye, centered on her forehead. 

“You don’t have one, do you?” She repeated, though it was hardly a question. 

“I didn’t need to use it,” Pearl turned back to the mirror, picking up another roll of bandage tape. 

“Knowing who your next opponent is, you let yourself take this much damage. You and I both know you’re a better tactician than that. You saw through Regalite’s Quirk almost immediately, but you had no options without weapons. Or a Quirk.” 

Amethyst’s eyes widened as Garnet spoke, and she moved to shut and lock the door behind them before hurrying to Pearl’s side. She took the bandage tape, looking at a particularly nasty burn on Pearl’s arm. 

“You really are damaged… but in the fight you healed. Isn’t that your Quirk?” 

Pearl shook her head slowly. She might as well answer before Garnet did so for her.

“No. I used my projection skills from the court. As a Diamond’s pearl, I can make nearly flawless projections and holograms. I usually don’t, as to not confuse anyone, but in this case, I used it to make it seem like I had duplicated myself.” 

“And to make it look like you healed. You projected an image over yourself, without altering your form. If you had shapeshifted, after all, you would have still seemed damaged. That’s tricky, even for a pearl.” 

“I have a lot of free time in court,” Pearl lied, kept rather busy by her demanding Diamond, but she had been focusing on her training in what little free time she found. Her projections were part of her fighting style, though she had been hoping to keep the confusion up for a while longer. If no one could guess what her quirk was, or if she even had one, it would be to her advantage. 

It was silent for a long moment, Amethyst binding the burn on Pearl’s arm for her. 

“I don’t have to win,” Pearl finally sighed, looking at Amethyst, and then Garnet. “I just have to prove that this is not the only way. I just need the chance to be heard. I… I don’t believe the Earthlings mean us harm. The Diamonds want them eradicated but…” 

\-----------------

“Would you like a sandwich, Miss Pearl? We made them at the dorms earlier, so we could go on a picnic, but we’re happy to share them with you!” 

The young human smiled at her brightly, holding out what he had called a ‘sandwich’ to her. She looked at it hesitantly, then politely took it. Now that she was holding the strange, slightly squishy object, composed of multiple smaller objects squished between two very soft pads, she had no idea what to do with it. The green haired boy looked so eager for something, though, and he moved to sit down on the bench with the brown hair girl again. A blond boy was grumbling and rolling his eyes a short distance off, stomping around and sometimes saying that they should be looking for a villain loud enough for the others to hear. 

No one seemed to be hearing him, or they chose not to. Along with the green haired boy and brown haired girl, there were a few other young humans assembled together. They were all wearing costumes that indicated they were heroes, like the ones that fought against the Diamond’s armies, but they were so young and seemed so gentle… 

Not forgetting her mission, Pearl continued to record the interaction in her gem. 

“Do you not like ham and cheese?” the girl asked gentle, digging in a basket that was apparently full of these things to find her a different one. It looked exactly the same, except the inside was a different color. “We have egg salad, too!” 

“I…” Pearl searched her memory for the research she had been doing on humans. Unfortunately, with all the focus on war and fighting capabilities, technology and tactics, she had not quite gotten very much information on their dietary habits. Or how they treated one another… personally. These kids, as they were called, all seemed so very nice. Innocent. Nothing like soldiers, or warriors. 

They reminded her a bit of Amethyst. 

\--------------------------

Pearl stood tall in the arena, masking any trace of pain or injury. Thankfully, the damage she took was bearable, but it certainly would slow her down if she let the battle drag on. Unfortunately, she doubted Jasper had any intention of letting it last, either. She stared at the orange gem as she lifted her fist in the air and let the crowd cheer for her, ramping them up and letting them jeer at the pearl that would be her opponent. 

It was almost embarrassing, having to fight a pretty little servant drone. How she had managed to get this far, and even defeat another soldier like Blue Jasper, was flat out ridiculous. But the farce would end. And if she got shattered in the process, that was just the price to pay for letting a toy play amongst the real weapons. 

Some spoiled royal, wanting to experience the real world, sticking herself where she did not belong. This pearl just made Jasper angrier and angrier, the longer she stood there so demurely, waiting for the battle to begin without any shit talking or bravado. It was like she did not even want to be there. So what was the point of embarrassing everyone? Making a mockery of what the Diamonds were trying to do? 

Jasper snarled, pointing at Pearl. 

“I’m going to crush you so badly, your master is going to need a replacement slave. You get that? You’re gonna shatter, just from how bad you’ll be shaking in your pretty little slippers!” 

“I’m terrified,” Pearl said blandly, holding her hand out to Jasper for a handshake. “Believe me.” 

Jasper stared at her, then snarled as the sarcasm registered. She seized Pearl’s hand just as the horn blared for the fight to begin, hauling her off her feet and throwing her across the arena like she was a doll that she was now tired of. Pearl, not expecting the fight to start so abruptly, skidded across the ground but quickly got her lithe legs under her. One palm was on the ground to steady her, and she felt the earth tremble. Distantly, she heard what sounded like a clap. 

The rocks beneath the ground burst forward, a large, jaw like shape opening up under and around the gem. Pearl was already in the air, having leaped the moment she felt that slight tremor of warning. She only just missed being bitten in half by the stone crocodile as its jaws snapped shut, tucking her leg up to her chest and spinning to the ground. She landed heavily, kicking up dust, but she had almost forgotten about the gem behind the Quirk. As the rocks crumbled, Jasper spoke.

“Nice dance moves, but it’s not enough!” Jasper yelled, Pearl turning to see that Jasper had anticipated where she would land. The fist smashed into her jaw before Pearl even saw it coming, sending her rocketing sideways. Jasper laughed and lifted her hand, palm toward the sky, fingers crooked, and a blade shaped stone lanced up from the ground and smashed into Pearl’s back as she passed over it, stopping her in her tracks. She draped over the stone, the blade not actually sharp, but it did not need to be. It was all about impact with Jasper, every hit as devastating as the last, whether coming from her stone manipulation or her fists. 

The stones crumbled and Pearl hit the ground, panting and straining just to remember where the ground was. Either her hearing had failed her, or the stands were silent as they watched the beating taking place in the ring. 

Pearl had to get some sort of plan going. She was desperate, a sharp fear filling her chest as she struggled on shaking elbows just to get her bearings back. A big hand grabbed her from the back of the neck and hauled her off the ground, Pearl reaching back and clinging to the wrist but powerless to pry the hold. Jasper held her up, standing behind her and presenting her to the crowd around them. 

“Don’t waste my time with trash like this. We’re here to find the best of the best, and this is a pathetic joke. An insult to the Diamonds!” 

“I’m still going to beat you,” Pearl yelled, latching on to Jasper’s arm and digging her fingers in. She still had a surprising amount of strength, even though she was a pearl, and the grip caused Jasper to lower her down so her feet connected with the ground. She did not release her, instead tightening her grip, but Pearl had enough footing to use that hold to her advantage. She pulled down abruptly, tugging on Jasper’s arm even as she remained clinging to her, and then shoved her own body backwards. She hauled Jasper over her shoulders, throwing the startled gem over and slamming her into the ground. 

The audience was silent again. 

While she was stunned, Pearl shifted her stance, holding her hand up in an echo of how Jasper had held it moments ago. Behind her, a flower of stone burst from the rubble of Jasper’s massive collection of debris from her previous attacks, and Jasper stared at it with wide eyes as she scrambled to the feet. 

“Wh-what?! You have my quirk?! I’ll destroy you, you little drone!” Jasper charged, and Pearl leaped to the side, tucking into a roll and throwing her hand forward, pointed at Jasper. Jasper saw it and snarled, holding up her hand in an effort to wrench control of the rocks from Pearl, but nothing responded. It barrelled toward her and she took one step back, startled, before she rolled into a ball to protect herself. 

Pearl charged, the hologram falling around them without causing any damage to either of them. She had grabbed a large enough rock to use for the impact instead, slamming it low against the ball Jasper had created and actually sending her into the air. Dropping the stone, Pearl leaped after Jasper, punching her in the back and forcing her to unroll. Enraged and confused, Jasper grabbed Pearl by the shoulder as they tumbled in the air, turning them to land on top of the much smaller gem. 

“I’ll crush you!” Jasper screamed, crunching Pearl’s shoulder with her hand and reaching the other toward the ground. The ground shook and a mountain of rocks burst out, flat on the top, racing up to meet them. Between how fast they were falling and the force behind the rocks rushing up to meet them, Pearl barely had any time to respond. She shut her eyes tightly and her gem flashed a bright white light, blinding Jasper just long enough for Pearl to turn them and smash her back into the rocks, which stopped abruptly once they met them. The rock platform broke away, and Pearl and Jasper fell to the destroyed arena floor. 

Neither gem moved, and two yellow Topaz gems came out to investigate the wreckage of the battle. They found Pearl laying still on the ground, a perfectly cut Jasper gem nestled in the debris beside her. A few short moments later, a beautiful Pearl joined her in a small burst of white smoke.


End file.
